Reflecting on times of excitement and joy, we may well find that it was when we were doing something. Life is not just an existence; it is meant to be lived in every sense, not occasionally but continuously. Bringing out the best we have, walking the road less travelled, grit and discipline, constantly setting goals and working towards achieving them doesn’t make life busy and hard, it makes it exciting.

Everything in the world is created twice – first in the mind then in reality. Giving expression to what we see in our mind’s eye unleashes a hidden potential of innovation and creativity that unknowingly unleashes energy and joy.

Work becomes hard when we view it so. But when we appreciate what we have and start managing it with care, responsibility and gratitude, realising that not everyone may be as fortunate to have what we do, we stop fighting the mundane and start enjoying the learnings along the way.

Doing things for ourselves will of course give us limited happiness, but doing things that include others and silently making an impact in someone’s life gives us a joy that cannot be imagined but only experienced.

Life does not change by wishing for it, but by working for it to change. A poet beautifully wrote – ‘Our life is a garden, but gardens are not made, by saying Oh beautiful and sitting in the shade.’

Our challenge is that as we do well in life, we risk getting attached to the concept of needing to do nothing. The biggest disservice we can do our children is give them prosperity without the responsibility and work ethic that goes with it. We must remind ourselves and expose them to the fact that doing is not about material gain; it is about growing and exploring our infinite potential within. If we are not doing, we are decaying.

Does it mean we should have no downtime for ourselves? Of course we must – relaxation and recreation sustain us. But re-laxation is mindfully resting ourselves, and re-creation is recreating our energies. ‘Idle’ worship is what we must protect ourselves from.

If ever there is a thought of wanting to try something, reaching out to someone, charting a new direction, ambitiously building on what we have been doing, or giving something a shot even if we feel we may not succeed, we need to decide today itself and start working towards it. Time waits for no one and our joy will not come from wishing we had, but from looking back and smiling through all our ups and downs that we followed our heart and kept doing.

(Picture – Caux, Switzerland)